Cane-harvesting machine



July 24.1928.

R. S. FALKINER CANE HARVESTING MACHINE 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed April 7, 1927 July 24, 1928 1,678,285

R s. FALKINER CANE HARVESTING MACHINE Filed April '7, 1927 2 s t -sh t 2 Patented July 24, 192 8 UNITED STATES 1,578,285 PATENT oFFicE.

RALPH SADLEIR FALKINER, OF MELBOURNE, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA CANE-HARVESTING MACHINE.

Application filed April 7, 1927, Serial No 181,840, and in Australia September 20, 1926.

This invention refers to cane harvesters and in particular to the kind referredto in United States specifications 744,988 and 79,370 and the object of the im- .provements is to provide improved means for removing trash from green cane, i. e. cane in the leaf.

In the known construction of harvesters the cut cane is received on a cane elevator and delivered between a pair of'pneumatic throwing rollerstravelling at high peripheral speed which violently throw the cane against an endless traveling hood compr1sing belts with slats and against a bafile, whilst a series of pairs of'discharge rollers deliver the cane downwardly past the topping knife.

Fans or blowers are also used to deliver upwardly andrearwardlydirected blasts of air through the cane above the discharge rollers inthe endeavour to cause the trash to be blown off the cane into contact with the travelling slats forming the hood.

The objects of this invention are to provide more adequate means of stripping and discharging most of the trash from the cane before it reaches the discharge rollers and of discharging mostof the remaining trash before the cane reaches the discharge rollers.

A further feature of the invention is, means to cause a suction within the travelling hood to assist the temporary adhesion to the slats thereof of any remaining trash which is blown upwardly by the previously employed air blasts so that it is assured that such remaining trash will be discharged at the rear of the'harvesterbr with the tops with the result that the cut cane will be practically free of all trash. I

The drawings illustrating the invention comprise 1-'- Figure 1 is a side elevation of portion of a cane harvesting machineshowing the 1I11 provements.

Figure 2 is a plan (broken) of Figure 1. Figure '3 is an enlarged view of arake, and V Figured a sect-ion through one tooth.

Figure '5 is a detail of the trashdischarge roller and,

Figure '6 across sectional viewof same.

Figure 7 is a side elevation of a perforated drum, and

Figure 8 an end elevation thereof.

Figure 9 .is a fragmentary'side elevation illustrating the trash discharge slatted belt.

Serial Nos.

According to this invention the usual incl ned cane elevator 1 is shortened to pernnt a trash removing endless elevator 2 similarly inclined to be placed between same and the throwing rollers 3, 1 and in alignment with said cane elevator, This intervening elevator of canvas attached to side chains is provided with a series of transverse trash removing rakes preferably formed with pointed teeth 7 and deep V-shaped recesses 6 between same, said teeth standing at approximately right angles to the surface of the elevator.

The rake teeth are bevelled as at to form blunt edges to grip the cane without cutting same and the point 31 of each tooth is curved as illustrated.

The speed of the elevator 2 isconsiderably less than the peripheral speed of the throwing rollers.

At the front and rear of the upper throwing roller 3 are closely placed air jets 8, 9 connected. by pipes 25 with the fans or blowers 10, 11 and directing air jets across the path of the cane in a downward direction as indicated on either side of the lower throwing roller 4.

Behind the lower throwing roller 4 just below the path of the cane is a trash discharge rotating roller 12 running in contact with throwing roller 4L between which roller 12 and said throwing roller 4;, the trash is directed by the air jet 9. The trash is then gripped between rollers'4 and 12 as they rotate and forcibly removed.

The trash discharge roller is formed in its periphery with grooves 53 for the passage of the trash laden air and such grooves may be arranged longitudinally of the roller or said roller may have double helical grooves 13 extending from the centre of the roller in opposite directions as in Figures 5 and 6 which is the preferred construction.

As a further alternative a hollow open ended drum 14, Figures 7 and 8, may be employed said drum being rotated and pro-* vided in its periphery with holes 15 through which the air enters and discharges at the open ends of the drum.

At the rear of either the trash discharge roller 12 or the drum 14 is arranged a chute 16 for directing the trash towards the. ground.

According to a further alternative as in Figure 9 a trash discharge belt 17 is caused to run in contact with the rear and underdirect the trash carried by said belt to the ground.

Within the space between the upper and lower portions of the known slatted belt 13 constituting the travelling hood 32 there is provided a chamber 33 open atthe bottom, said chamber being connected preferably on both sides by suitable throats 24 to the intakes of the fans or blowers 10 11 which supply the air blasts including those from jets 46 above the discharge rollers 47.

Motion is imparted to the mechanism from a vertical shaft 36 deriving motion from engine E. Bevel gearing 37 rotates the shaft 38 of the fans or blowers 10, 11 and bevel gearing 39 the tubular shaft 40 .on which the lower throwing roller 4 is mounted. y

A chain and sprocket gear 41 from shaft 40 operates the trash removing elevator 2, a chain and sprocket gear 42 deriving motion from shaft 38 rotates the shaft 43 of the trash discharge roller 12 and a chain and sprocket gear 44 deriving motion from shaft 43 operates the travelling hood 32.

In addition a chain and sprocket gear 45 deriving motion from the trash removing elevator 2 operates the lower elevator 1.

In operation the cane is gathered, cut and deposited on the lower elevator l as in known harvesters and is then elevated tothe trash removing elevator 2 which feeds the cane between the throwing rollers 3, 4 the cane lying in the deep V-shaped recesses 6 of the teeth 7 of the rakes 5.

The speed of the elevator 2- is much less than the peripheral speed of the throwing rollers and as soon as the cane is gripped by the throwing rollers 3, 4 it is dragged violently between the teeth 7 of the elevator 2 which has the effect of stripping the leaves from the cane.

The air blast from the jet 8 in front of the upper roller induces a certain amount of the leaves to be taken round the upper end of the elevator by the rakes 5 to be disharged upon chute 23 as indicated by arrows.

The remainder of the trash then passes between the throwing rollers 3, 4 with the cane and as they issue they are met by an air blast from the jet 9 which forces the trash down between the lower roller 4 and the trash disharge roller 12 or drum 14, Figures 7 and 8, or the slatted belt 17 Figure 9.

The object of the grooves 53 in-the roller 12, the holes 15 in the drum 14 and the Space between the slats 18 of the belt 17 is to allow the air directed by the jet 9 to escape taken from the top of the underside of the,

slatted belt 13 of the hood 32 creates a partial vacuum which adds considerably to the efficiency of the present air jets in inducing the leavcsto adhere to the belt and be carried thereby out of the machine, said leaves being released when they pass'beyond the influence of the suction in chamber 33. 7

Having now fully described and ascertained my said invention, and the manner in which it is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is v 1. Ina cane harvesting machine employing superposed throwing rollers, 11 grooved trash discharge roller in contact with the rear of the lower throwing roller and a jet downwardly directing an air blast across the path of the cane and between said. rollers.

2. In a cane harvesting machine employing superposed throwing rollers, a grooved trash discharge roller in contact with the rear of the lower throwing roller and air jets at the front'and rear of the upper throwing roller directing air blasts across the path of thecane.

3. In a cane harvesting machine employing superposedthrowing rollers and a cane elevator operating towards same, a trash removing elevator intervening between said cane elevator and rollers and provided with a series of transverse rakes.

4. In cane harvesting machine employing superposed throwing rollers and a cane elevator operating towards same, a trash removing elevator intervening between said cane elevator and rollers and provided with a series of transverse rakes formed with pointed teeth with deep V-shaped recesses between same. 7

5. In a cane harvesting machine employing superposed throwing rollers and a cane elevator operating towards same, a trash removing elevator intervening between said cane elevator and rollers and provided with a series of transverse rakes formed with ointed teeth with deep V-shaped recesses etween same, said teeth being approximately at right angles to the surface of the elevator and provided with bevelled edges and with a curved point. I

*6. In a cane. harvesting machine employing superposed throwing rollers and a. cane elevator operating towards same, a trash removing elevator intervening between said downwardly directed air blast jet located at the rear of the uppermost throwing roller and means adjacent the rear of the lower most throwing roller for discharging the trash.

8. In a cane harvesting machlne having a pair of superposed throwing rollers, a trash roller and means adjacent the rear ,of'the lower throwing roller for dischargingthe trash. v

10. In a cane harvesting machine having a pair of superposed throwing rollers, a trash removing elevator feeding cane between'said rollers and provided with series of rakes, downwardly directed air blastjets located at the front and rear of the upper throwing roller and a grooved rotary trash discharge roller in contact with the rear of the lower throwing roller. 7

11. In a cane harvesting machine having a pair of superposed throwing rollers, down-- wardly directed air blast jets located at the front and rear of the upper throwing roller, a grooved rotary trash removing roller in contact with the rear of the lower throwing roller and a chute below the latter.

12. In a cane harvesting machine having front and rear of the upper throwing roller and a rotary trash discharge roller in contact with the rear of the lower throwing roller and formed with double helical grooves ex tending in opposite directions. Y

13. In a cane harvesting machine having a pair ofsuperposed throwing rollers, down-- wardly directed air blast jets located at the front-and rear of the upper throwingroller, I an open ended perforated drum in contact with the lower throwing roller, and means to rotate said drum. 7

V 14. In a'cane harvesting machine having a pair of superposed throwing rollers, downwardly directed air blast jets located at the front and rear of the upper throwing roller, and an endless slatted belt adapted to travel in contact with the lower throwing roller.

15. In a cane harvesting machine employing superposed throwing rollers and a travelling hood formed of a slatted belt, means to remove the trash from the cane, and a suction chamber within said hood, open at the bottom and connected with the suction sides of fans or blowers. r

16. In acaneharvesting machine employing superposed throwing rollers, a travelling hoodformed ot a slatted belt, a series of pairs of discharge rollers beneath the hood, fans of blowers for supplying air blast jets directed upwardly and rearwardly above said discharge rollers, a suction chamber within the hood, means to remove the trash from the cane, and suction from said chamher, the latter being open at bottom and connected with the suction sides of said fans or blowers.

17 In a cane harvesting machine employmg superposed throwing rollers, a travelling hood formed of a slatted belt, a series of of the upper throwing roller receiving air I from said fans or blowers, a grooved rotary trash discharge roller in contact with the rear of the lower throwing roller, a suction 1 chamber within the hood, open at the bottom and connected with the suction. sides of said fans or blowers. I V

Dated this 28th day of March, 1927.

RALPH SADLEIR FALKINER. 

